Bern University of Applied Sciences and University of Bern launch Entrepreneurship Club

Having a good idea is not enough. If you want to bring your idea to the market and found a company, you also need a good, functioning network. People who think along with you. People who go along with your idea. In order to offer young entrepreneurs a platform, students from the Bern University of Applied Sciences BFH and the University of Bern have founded the Entrepreneurship Club Bern ECB. The aim is to create a platform where innovative ideas and entrepreneurial skills come together. "The club is meant to offer students the opportunity to try out their entrepreneurial ideas. We want to create a space where students can find the courage to openly express their thoughts and visions. The Entrepreneurship Club should be a place to find and share inspiration and motivation," explains Juliette Vincent. The 31-year-old studies International Business Administration at BFH and is a member of the ECB board.

Network: key resource in start-up founding

When building a start-up, the questions are numerous and the possibility to draw on a broad network of experts and like-minded people is often limited. "A big challenge besides obtaining financial resources is often putting together one's own team. Finding suitable partners and co-founders to get a project off the ground is the be-all and end-all of founding a start-up and often a huge challenge, especially for young entrepreneurs," explains Vincent. Fellow board member Marco Henri from the University of Bern adds: "The network is a key resource for start-ups. A successful founding team combines various complementary skills. With the Entrepreneurship Club, we want to take on the role of a companion on the path of the successful entrepreneur. In this way, we promote entrepreneurship and innovation at the university location Bern."

ECB: partner on the path from idea to funding

However, the ECB is intended to be more than just an exchange platform. "With guest talks, workshops and networking events, we want to provide our members with food for thought and important tips and tricks for successful start-ups," says Vincent. And very specific projects are also planned to be promoted. "One of our biggest projects and highlight is the Accelerator Programme. In this programme, pre-seed stage start-ups, meaning start-ups that are more or less still at the idea stage, are taken by the hand and accompanied until they receive their first investment. The programme will be very instructive and hopefully help many start-ups achieve their first success," explains Henri.

BFH and University of Bern: together for innovation

20-year-old Henri is studying Business Administration and Computer Science at the University of Bern and, like his colleague Juliette Vincent, is a member of the ECB's founding team. The fact that the Entrepreneurship Club Bern founded jointly by students from the Bern University of Applied Sciences and the University of Bern is no coincidence. "By joining forces, the network and thus the appeal of the club will be greater. Both universities support the project and contribute their expertise," explains Vincent. "In addition, we can benefit from the universities' contacts and relationships with other relevant organisations and institutions, which opens up further opportunities and resources." The BFH, with its practice-oriented approach, and the University of Bern, with its broad spectrum of research areas, complement each other perfectly. Through the cooperation of the two universities, members of the Entrepreneurship Club can benefit from both universities.